COVID-19 RESOURCES

USA Softball Family

Back to the Ballpark Guidelines

In these unprecedented times, USA Softball strives to protect the integrity of the game while also providing a safe environment for all involved.

The items listed in the “Back to the Ballpark Recommendations” are recommended practices for restarting USA Softball events. State/Metro Associations, Recreational Leagues, Tournament Hosts, Staff, Athletes, Coaches, Parents, and spectators shall continue to follow Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Federal, State and Local governmental guidelines.

USA Softball cannot dictate when local state and metro associations can start playing softball during the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting play will be determined by state/metro associations working with their local governmental agencies. Teams coming from other areas within a state or crossing states lines should respect and follow their local governmental agency restrictions (where they reside) before signing up for tournaments.

We will continue our mission to develop, administer and promote the sport of softball to provide opportunities for participation and the best possible experience for those involved.

This is a working document that will have to be very fluid as CDC, Federal, State and Local governmental agencies find their way through the COVID-19 pandemic in allowing youth sports to start back playing again.

At Home Drills for Athletes

USA Softball Local Associations and Members

USA Softball will make a determination by June 1 of the status of the 2020 USA Softball National Championship Finals and the 2020 USA Softball Junior Olympic (JO) Cup, which take place beginning in mid-July and run through the beginning of September.

2020 Softball Season and National Championship Play

Individuals, teams and umpires may resume registrations through RegisterUSASoftball.com system. However, please note that it is ultimately up to each state/metro association to evaluate their current situation when considering approving registrations. Please contact your state/metro association for more information on their COVID-19 registration policies.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of USA Softball will have the ability to increase the maximum number of teams competing in the 2020 GOLD National Championships. Teams who do not qualify and are interested in participating must have approval by state/metro commissioner before going before the CEO for consideration.

USA Softball will move forward in hosting 2020 National Championships. All host organizations will need to assess and understand the COVID-19 restrictions within their respective states, counties, cities and associations prior to making a final decision on hosting. Any National Championship held prior to August 1 will need to inform the National Office and Regional VP of their plan for hosting by June 5, while tournaments held after August 1 will need to make a decision by July 1. If any 2020 USA Softball National Championships are not held because of restrictions due to COVID-19 put in place by a government agency, the hosting state/metro association will be offered the right of first refusal to host their respective National Championship in 2022. Additional updates to the list of National Championships will be sent starting next week.

National Council Meeting, Governance and 2020/21 Playing Rule/Procedural Code Changes

The 2020 Annual Council Meeting has been cancelled effective immediately.

There will be no Playing Rule or Procedural Code changes that will be considered by the USA Softball Council in 2020. As a result, the 2020 Playing Rules and Procedural Code will be used through the 2021 season.

The 2020 Official Rules of Softball will be used and valid through 2021.

National Team Program

USA Softball has cancelled all originally scheduled 2020 stops on the Stand Beside Her Tour, presented by Major League Baseball (MLB). For more information, visit StandBesideHerTour.com.

The 2020 Gold Ball Gala, originally scheduled for May 27 in Oklahoma City, has been postponed until further notice.

2020 U-18 Women's National Team Open Tryout: With the postponement of the 2020 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup due to the COVID-19 pandemic, USA Softball will be cancelling the U-18 Women’s National Team (WNT) Open Tryout, which were originally scheduled for June 15-16, 2020. Once new dates for the WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup have been released by the WBSC, USA Softball will determine an appropriate timeframe to reschedule the U-18 WNT Open Tryout.

A select number of World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) events have been postponed and/or cancelled. Please refer to WBSC.org for more information.

National Softball Hall of Fame and Museum, Gift Shop and USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex

The National Softball Hall of Fame and Gift Shop has reopened to the public as of 8 a.m. CT Wednesday, May 20, 2020. We kindly ask visitors to observe proper social distancing guidelines while visiting the Gift Shop and National Softball Hall of Fame. Please note, the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex will remain closed to visitors until further notice as the facility is still undergoing renovations and is an active construction zone

Women's National Team, Aubree Munro: Working on Your Transfers From Your Couch

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Experiencing An Urgent Mental Health Issue?If you or someone you know is experiencing an urgent mental health issue, we encourage you to text HOME to 741741, or call (800) 273-8255 to speak to a mental health professional. In the process of helping yourself, you may be inspiring courage in others to seek help as well.